Industrial process control and automation systems are often used to automate large and complex industrial processes. These types of systems routinely include a large number of devices, such as sensors, actuators, and controllers. Some of the controllers are often used to receive measurements from the sensors and perform process control operations to generate control signals for the actuators. Other controllers are often used to perform higher-level functions, such as planning, scheduling, and optimization operations.
Controllers or other devices in these types of systems are typically designed to generate alarms for human operators when undesirable or unsafe operating conditions are detected. “Alarm management” refers to a process by which these alarms are designed, monitored, and managed to ensure safe and reliable operations of an industrial facility. With the introduction of distributed control systems (DCSs) and automation for industrial facilities, it has become possible to monitor a large number of parameters in an industrial facility. However, this has also led to the ability to generate an enormous number of alarms, which can quickly become problematic for human operators. For example, the presence of an excessive number of alarms may allow important alarms to go unnoticed by the human operators.